Until the next quilt

Bella Sophia

Monday, July 30, 2012

Little boys get neglected

when it comes to making quilts and pillowcases. At one time I remember not having much selection for boys, but times have changed and I’m so thankful.
There is a need for pillowcases for the Ronald McDonald house in Hamilton. Probably at all locations, but this is the one closest to where I live. The need for boys is the most.
When we were on the Island, I shopped at the Quilting B and more in Charlottetown, one of my favourite quilt stores. If you ever go, it’s located on Prince Street in a lovely old grey house. Lots of selection on all kinds of fabrics, fusions, batiks, black and whites……………I could go on and on.
Anyway, Karen the lady that works there showed me a pillowcase they had made with one of these fabrics…… the deep blue. She then showed me the border fabric and I decided to take it too. I had about 1 yard of the blue so I just cut that in half and then trimmed to 40” wide. I cut the border fabric at 9 1/2” and then did a think! What the heck was I going to do next? Ah-ha, said the little light bulb and off I went in search something to co-ordinate with it. This has been in my stash for quite awhile and this is all I have left. 20” and I needed 19”. What kind of luck was that.
I didn’t do the tube method – well, I never do that method. This is how I did it, in case you want to give it a whirl.
The “body” of the case measures 23” x 40” when cut. I sew down the longest side first and then across the top. (I do use my serger to make them.)
Sew the cuff border fabric to the lining……….at the bottom of the border right sides together. Sew the long edge first, then sew the side seam using a 1/4” seam allowance.
You can press the seam allowance in either direction. I preferred to press to the lining side. Tuck the entire cuff inside the case with the wrong side of the case towards the right side of the cuff. Pin around the entire area and then stitch. Pull the cuff out from inside the case and then fold over the raw edge using about 1/4” seam allowance. (This time I used the “bricks” as my guide.) Pull up to the edge where you have stitched the cuff to the case, pin in place…… and then very carefully sew as close to the edge as you can. I use my walking foot to do this and slow the speed way down on my machine.
Give your pillowcase a good pressing and its ready for giving.
I think perhaps I may do this again.
And while I hibernated in the basement sewing two cases this was the temperature outside at 4:30 in the afternoon. A lot of North America is baking and we have been warned if we don’t get water soon from somewhere we are going to be in trouble.